Macy’s and Kohl’s are preparing to shut down Bay Area department stores — and slash jobs — an ominous indicator that some retailers must navigate a forbidding economic landscape in 2025. Kohl’s has posted plans to shut stores in five Bay Area cities while Macy’s has revealed its decision to shut two stores in the nine-county region.

Department store retailer Kohl’s says it will close 27 underperforming stores, including five locations in the Bay Area, and a fulfillment center by April.

The company noted the San Bernardino e-commerce fulfillment center, or EFC, has been in operation since 2010, one of 15 such centers in Kohl’s supply chain network nationwide. “In recent years, Kohl’s has increased efficiencies with new technology capabilities at newer EFC facilities and has expanded the company’s ability to fulfill customer orders from store locations,